The Women of the Rose

Texas women have a well-earned reputation for big hair, big hearts and Texas-sized tenacity. ‘The Women of The Rose’ is the story of such women -- the kind who didn't let the "little" things like no money, no experience with non-profits, and no breaks in the glass ceiling keep them from launching what has become a 30-year investment in life-saving women's health. In this collection of stories from co-founder Dorothy Gibbons you will discover what it took to face naysayers, build a legacy, and even take on what once was a death sentence for 1000s of women.

The Inspiration Behind The Women of The Rose

Dorothy has been the primary grant writer for The Rose since its inception in 1986, raising millions of dollars for the care of uninsured women. Her writing skills have convinced local and national philanthropic organizations to fund an average of $3.5 million annually. Grant awards ranging from $2500 to $2.5 million have purchased buildings, digital imaging equipment, underwritten physician salaries and supported a fleet of mobile mammography units that spans the entire state of Texas.

The sad, unimaginable, victorious stories she has told for years about the clients served and the needs of communities are captured in her first non-fiction work: The Women of The Rose.She dives in feet first and invites readers to do the same into the confusing and technically off-putting world of traditional medicine, the frustrations and rewards involved in fundraising, the politics surrounding women’s health in Texas and the incredible changes…or lack of change…that surrounds the breast cancer epidemic.

The Women of the Rose tells the story of The Rose through her eyes. It is a story about the power of believing and a salute to the unfathomable courage and tenacity of women and a statement about society.